


Ashes of the Sun

by zeesqueere



Category: Dragon Age (Video Games), Dragon Age - All Media Types, Dragon Age: Inquisition
Genre: @Bioware let me romance Madame de Fer you cowards, Drabble, F/F, Minor Character Death (Mentioned), Original Character - Freeform, Original Companion - Freeform, Other, Pre-Relationship, introductions, one-shot but may add more later, sapphic Vivienne is my favorite headcanon
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-02-10
Updated: 2019-02-10
Packaged: 2019-10-25 16:00:13
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 828
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17728328
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/zeesqueere/pseuds/zeesqueere
Summary: A tale as old as time: traumatized femme fatale falls head over heels for the ice queen supreme.





	Ashes of the Sun

**Author's Note:**

> DA:I may not allow for Inquisitors to romance Vivienne, but as that was a stupid executive decision, I’ve elected to ignore her non-romanceable status and write her falling for my Cadash Inquisitor’s older sister instead.

The bustle of Skyhold had its own sort of appeal, Dia thought, but she had been sorely lacking a moment to breathe since her arrival. She had been raised to see the attention of others as a tool to be used and lately the head of that particular hammer had been pointed squarely in her direction. It was growing less and less welcome with each passing glance from passersby.

  
Stepping out into the garden instantly alleviated some of the pressure. Under gentle sunlight and among the greenery, Dia could almost pretend she was back in her own garden—the one she’d kept for herself in Ostwick, not the small plot of herbs in Kirkwall or the veritable prison of overly-manicured lawns in Llomerryn.

 

“No. Think of something else,” she muttered to herself, shaking her head as if the action would physically dispel the darker memories threatening to surface.

  
Dia closed her eyes and tried to focus on the feel of the sunlight warming her dark skin, the gentle breeze ruffling her tightly coiled hair, and the coolness of the dewy grass against her legs, opening her eyes once she had returned to the moment.

  
Dia exhaled and unclenched her fists. The fears had been getting easier to manage over the past few months but had resurfaced with a vengeance the minute Diena introduced—reintroduced—her to Commander Cullen. Memories of screaming circle mages falling as the city of chains burned all around had returned to haunt her once more. In unguarded moments, Dia felt the phantom weight of Feo’s lifeless body in her arms. If Meredith hadn’t driven things to a head, if Anders hadn’t taken desperate action... If that self-styled Commander had intervened, Feofan would be with her still.

  
If, if, if.

  
“Not much of one for this utterly Fereldan garden?” a voice asked from her right. “Quite right. You would think that there would be something other than a pervading sense of drab in this country but they’ve even managed to grow a dour little garden. It’s remarkable, really.”

  
Dia’s eyes found an elegant human woman with a complexion like her own smiling down gently at her.

  
“I admit it’s a poor substitute for home, but even this ‘dour little garden’ has its own small charm,” she replied. “If they were to put too much care into maintaining this place I might worry that my dear sister’s advisors have no sense of budget.”

  
The other woman laughed before smoothly dipping into a short bow: “I take this to mean that you are none of than the Inquisitor’s sister of whom I have heard so much recent talk?” She straightened and offered her hand to Dia: “I am Madame de Fer, but free to call me Vivienne.”

 

Dia took the slender hand in her own and bowed over it before drawing it to her lips: “Diaraye Cadash, at your service.” Placing a kiss to Vivienne’s knuckles, she murmured, “those that I consider friends, however, are welcome to call me Dia.”

 

Vivienne smiled politely as she draw her hand back from the dwarf slower that technically necessary.

 

“In that case,” she said, “I shall call you Diaraye until we’ve made better acquaintance.”

  
Dia smirked despite herself at the sound of her name on Vivienne’s lips: “Not many humans can pronounce it correctly. Are you familiar with many other Carta dwarves?”

  
If her question was poorly-phrased, Vivienne had the grace not to say: “The Inquisitor speaks of you often, you know. She drilled most of us on how to say your name the moment she’d received word you were coming. I cannot say that I have personal acquaintance with many who run in such circles,” she added, “but I am not in the habit of allowing my own ignorance to be the sole reason for causing offense.”

  
“Good to know that I can rely on you to insult me when you mean to,” Dia laughed.

 

It had been years since she’d had to dance to the rhythms of the Great Game and she was no longer obligated to navigate it with demure grace. Being above reproach, even from the Herald of Andraste herself, had certainly afforded Dia a healthy number of benefits.

  
“Since you are a member of Dienabou’s inner circle and have had more time to adjust to life in Skyhold,” she began, “perhaps you would do me the honor of showing me where to find adequate entertainment? I should like to know where those with good taste allow themselves to be seen.”

  
Vivienne nearly purred her agreement before leading Dia out of the garden.

 

This time, when others turned and stared, she could assure herself that they were drinking in the sight of Madame de Fer too. Although they were now navigating the cold hallways of Stormhold, Dia swore to herself she could still feel the warmth of sunlight on her cheeks. She refused to entertain the thought that her face was burning from the inside out.

**Author's Note:**

> Unedited so please let me know if you find any embarrassing errors. It’s been 5 years since this game was released and I couldn’t find any f!OC/Vivienne fics here (what the heck people). If no one else is going to do it, I guess it’s up to me!


End file.
